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Few studies have examined perceived social support among the subgroup of the HIV population that struggles with adherence to HIV care and treatment. A secondary analysis from 2 HIV medication adherence intervention studies was conducted using a mixed method design. Participants were not taking HIV medications as prescribed or had fallen out of HIV care. Two major themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis: extreme isolation and constant turmoil. Overall social support scores were low, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Convergent qualitative data excerpt corresponded with low scores on every dimension of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Findings from our study indicate that adults living with HIV who struggled with taking HIV medications lacked social support in many areas of their lives. Interventions that focus on perceptions of available social support may be helpful for individuals with ongoing HIV medication adherence challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, nearly 500,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk of contracting HIV. Men who have sex with men constitute 70% of all new cases of HIV in the United States; within this population, the incidence of HIV infection is the highest among Black MSM.Our integrated review synthesized published behavioral interventions designed to enhance the uptake of and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV in the Black MSM population. A search of 4 electronic databases revealed only 7 studies whose samples included BlackMSM.Adherence to PrEP medication declined over time across all studies. No statistically significant changes in safer sexual behaviors were reported. Few studies described theory-driven interventions. Effective interventions are needed to enhance the uptake of PrEP and to reinforce behaviors that prevent HIV transmission among Black MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the impact of a bilingual/bicultural care team on HIV-related health outcomes among Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 43) who received care in an academic HIV specialty clinic. Demographic and health data extracted from medical records from March 2005 to March 2007 were compared over two time periods: 1 year before and 1 year after implementation of the care team. Results indicated that there were more clinic visits per patient and that a higher percentage of individuals had suppressed HIV viral loads to < 50 copies/ml during the year after the team was implemented compared with the previous year. Results from this study suggest that provision of care by health care workers who are bilingual/bicultural, together with the use of culturally and linguistically appropriate patient education materials, may enhance health outcomes among Hispanic adults living with HIV infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was performed to better understand the health concerns of mature Midwestern women living with HIV and to offer health care providers information about the spectrum of medical and psychosocial needs of this population. Individual interviews were conducted with 18 low-income women who were 41 to 68 years of age. Interviews showed multiple needs that encompassed both physical and emotional health: more frequent health screenings, the ability to differentiate symptoms of advancing HIV from those of aging, desire for knowledge about reasonable expectations for aging women with HIV, and attention to emotional health needs and social support. Interventions aimed at helping mature HIV-infected women cope as they age, education about the normal aging process, consumer information about appropriate timing of health care screenings, and mechanisms to facilitate the creation of social support networks to decrease isolation seem to be needed in this population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this prospective pilot study was to examine the relationship between the level of readiness for health behavior change and adherence by HIV-positive males (n = 19) who had previously failed treatment due to nonadherence. Participants completed the Index of Readiness (IR), an instrument measuring readiness to initiate health behavior change, prior to beginning new antiretroviral medications. After 6 months, participants were divided into two mutually exclusive groups: those who reached and sustained viral suppression and those who did not. Participants who experienced and sustained viral suppression had statistically significantly higher scores on the Identification of Barriers/Creating Strategies subscale of the IR compared to participants who did not reach viral suppression. Results from this preliminary study indicate that readiness may be a key component in successful adherence and that the IR may be a useful tool in assessing readiness for adherence to antiretroviral medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]